by Chris Duthie |
December 01, 2017
Missouri proudly sports an affable affinity for Midwestern hospitality, contemporary blues music, succulent barbecue and verdant Ozark Mountain scenics. In historic Kansas City (pictured), a dynamic downtown renaissance showcases a decade-long, $9 billion revival embracing 4,000 hotel rooms.
'GATEWAY CITY' NEWS
A Marriott Autograph Collection boutique hotel, the 140-room Hotel Saint Louis, is being developed in a restored 1890s-era building in the city's central business district, slated to open in fall 2018.
The $380 million CityArchRiver project in downtown St. Louis includes a recent renovation to Kiener Plaza and in summer 2018 will debut the revamped Museum of Westward Expansion.
A BIG PLUS
In Columbia, the 114-room Broadway Columbia, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, is planning a $20 million, second-tower expansion that will add 80 guest rooms and 70,000 square feet of new meeting space.
ST. LOUIS LUXE
The major expansion of Ballpark Village in St. Louis now includes plans to build the $65 million, eight-story, 216-room Live! By Loews across from Busch Stadium. The luxury hotel will offer food-and-beverage services, a fitness facility, an outdoor event terrace and 17,000 square feet of meeting space. Completion is set for 2019.
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KANSAS CITY
Local Update• KC Streetcar is a new two-mile conveyance that already has welcomed more than three million passengers. The $102 million, free-to-ride city service connects the convention center with other popular downtown entertainment areas, and plans are in the works to expand the 16-stop electric line to the University of Missouri Kansas City.
• Construction is underway to build a $310 million, 800-room hotel adjacent to the Kansas City Convention Center. The
Loews Kansas City Hotel will feature two restaurants, a lobby bar, an indoor pool and 60,000 square feet of meeting space that directly connects to the convention facility via skybridge. Completion is targeted for January 2020.
• A new division of Visit KC has been launched to connect meeting professionals with logistics, entertainment and venue sourcing, group activities and tours, transportation, team building and other needs.
Spark, A Destination Management Company, operates separately from Visit KC and utilizes dedicated personnel and unique sources of funding.
Meeting Hotels: In Greater Kansas City are more than 32,000 hotel rooms -- 4,000 downtown -- including the 983-room Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 730-room Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, 724-room Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, 412-room Sheraton Overland Park Hotel, 398-room Marriott Overland Park, 392-room Harrah's Casino and Hotel, 385-room Crowne Plaza Kansas City Downtown, 384-room Kansas City Airport Marriott, 369-room Adam's Mark Hotel and Conference Center, 356-room DoubleTree by Hilton Kansas City Overland Park, 347-room Hilton Kansas City Airport and 346-room InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit
mcvenues.com.Convention Center: Kansas City Convention Center; exhibit space, 388,800 square feet; meeting space, 352,148 square feet; meeting rooms, 48. (816) 513-5000.
Airport Transit: Kansas City International Airport, 19 miles north of the convention center. Transfer by taxi, $56; by shuttle, $18
Taxes: Room tax, 7.5%; sales tax, 8.475%; total tax on hotels, 17.27%
Group Venue: Characterized by some stunning architecture and panoramic city views, the
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is home to the Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera and Kansas City Symphony. Its plush group-styled perks include a 1,800-seat theater and a 1,600-seat performance hall that, combined, accommodate up to 1,800 guests. (816) 994-7200.
Contact: Visit KC, (816) 691-3800.